*DIANA*
When it was time to celebrate; the Rodriguez family did it in grand style, this tradition traced back to when my mother was still alive and there was a huge event or maybe a small reason to celebrate, I remember how she would cook overnight and with our help she would make a dish that would feed our neighbors and well wishers that came to celebrate with us from far and wide, I wanted to continue the tradition and also do it in remembrance of her virtuous spirit. I did not tell my father the exact amount that Julian had given to me but I told him that I was going to the grocery to shop for some things that I wanted to use in whipping up a party dish, my father was excited and he was aware of the fact that I had received some money so he requested me to buy him his favorite wine which he hadn't drank in a long time due to the financial status of our family.
"What is the occasion?" my father asked me with a smile as soon as he heard me singing, I usually sang whenever I was in high spirits and of course he would have noticed the smile on my face.
"I am just grateful to God for the opportunity that he had given me" I said as I dressed up to go to the mall, my sister was already waiting for me by the door because I had told her that she was coming with me.
"I am very happy that the Madame accepted my offer and you are a very good girl because she spoke very highly of your character over the phone with me this morning" he said in a proud tone, he was smiling very widely and that was rare to see whenever he was not drunk.
"She did? What did she say?" I asked in astonishment, I had not been expecting Madame to give her report of me to my father so soon.
"She told me that I had a daughter that grew up with discipline and morals, she also commended my dear Cecilia for raising you in the upright way… may her soul rest in peace" the three of us fell silent and we did the sign of the cross for a brief moment the trailer was quiet as a graveyard.
"I am surprised to hear that, I had been too anxious about my first few days there so I did not expect her to speak of me in that manner" I managed to say as I combed my hair, I thought back to the incident that had almost got me fired and how she had responded to my reaction.
"There is nothing to be worried about, you have the Rodriguez blood flowing through your veins so everything is supposed to work in your order, you have a charming personality as well… so she said" he added that last part, I felt like he was lying but my sister Lucia confirmed the story for me.
"I was there when he answered her phone call and I am a witness to all of this, it is very true and she sounded so impressed by the way" my heart felt like melting and I was suddenly in the mood to tell my father about the money that I had received but I fought the urge to do that.
"There is definitely a need to celebrate such an amazing news" I said excitedly as I walked towards the door, I passed my father with my new phone in my hand and he stopped me to admire it.
"Wow! When did you buy a phone?" he asked me incredulously, even my sister came close to observe the beauty in my hands.
"I did not buy it with my money, I was gifted by the CEO because I told him that I do not have a phone" I said casually as if it was nothing, they awed at the machine in their hands and I was scared that it might fall.
"This is one of the latest versions of smartphones out there, I have a classmate that has the same type and even he confirmed that it was very expensive… wow! I am so happy for you Diana" Lucia said with so much admiration in her voice, she was trendy so I had not been surprised at her knowledge about the phone.
"You have won your way into the heart of the Madame and the CEO as well, you have a bright future ahead of you and I have high expectations of you my dear" my father said with a large grin on his face, I was pleased to see him proud and I was more than happy to see my sister excited for me. It was one of those rare moments that you would wish for them to last forever.
"I am not sure that I have won the heart of the CEO and that's even if he had a heart in the first place, that guy is so cold and mean" I said subconsciously, my father thought about this for a while before he spoke.
"Grief can do that to a man sometimes, the loss of his father must have weighed on him so much and it was obvious to see from his face at the funeral, handling the business will also take it's toll on him so it is easy to see things from his point of view" I felt like asking my father the question that had been bugging my mind but my sister dragged my hand.
"Let's get going Diana, the store might close anytime soon… you know how hard it is to see a cab on a Friday evening with the after work rush and all, I need to take some pictures with that ultra-clear camera that your phone has" she said as she pulled me out of the trailer, I waved my smiling father as we went on our way and it was then that he shouted his request.
"Please get me my favorite red wine from the store on your way back, I am sure you know my favorite" he said as he waved us goodbye, of course I knew the drink and how can I forget such an ancient deity that used to live on my father's drink cabinet back in the days that he used to be a salary earner, things were about to get better than those days… I was sure about it.
"Taxi!" my sister shouted as we got out of the trailer park, her face was filled with color due to the excitement that she was feeling, it had been a long time that we had spent any time together and she looked exactly like my mother whenever she smiled, I wanted her to keep that smile on her face for a long time.